A fire alarm forced residents of Bragaw Residence Hall to stand outside in the cold around 3 a.m. for almost two hours Thursday morning, leaving everyone invlolved wondering what was happening.

According to an email Bryan Botts, assistant director of University Housing, sent to Bragaw residents, the fire alarm malfunction resulted from a broken smoke detector that had to be repaired before residents could reenter. 

Andrew Key, a resident advisor of Bragaw, said he heard a rumor that someone may have pulled the fire alarm. He has since spoken with Botts, who said the alarm activation was likely not the result of foul play.

The rumor swirled after many residents witnessed a male student being detained by campus police around 4 a.m.

The student took off running on the north side of Bragaw during what campus police said was an investigation of a verbal dispute involving the student and a member of University Housing staff. 

Campus police pursued him on foot and detained him. Prior to the pursuit the student appeared to be being questioned by an officer. 

As he ran, the crowd of evacuated residents erupted in cheers and applause.

Campus police detained the student almost immediately and charged him with resist, relay and obstruct according to Jack Moorman, police chief of the University Police Department. Moorman said resist, delay and obstruct is the legal term for what is commonly referred to as resisting arrest. 

“By running he was preventing the officers from doing their duty of handling that situation,” said Moorman. 

According to Moorman, the incident was unrelated to the fire alarm malfunction at Bragaw.

Residents were prevented from entering their suites, even though there was no evidence of an emergency.

After more than an hour of the ordeal, housing staff allowed residents to go into Bragaw’s lounge until the system was fixed. 

It wasn’t until after 5 a.m. when the broken smoke detector was found and fixed, that housing staff told residents they could return to their suites.